One or more embodiments of the invention generally relate to a system and method for applying a 2D substrate onto an object or entity. More particularly certain embodiments of the invention relate to a system and method for designing and calibrating graphics or a two-dimensional substrate and applying onto a three-dimensional object or entity.
The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. Currently a user uses one's spatial perception skills learned from experience to design and calibrate graphics onto an object or entity. This may have been possible primarily due to human comprehension of a spatially perceived object or entity which at times may be limited. Computers may have been used in terms of entering in data received from conventional means of measurement to print something to apply to simple regular objects like cylinders, boxes, or any flat regular surfaces. Although many years of experience in applying guess-work sized graphics to objects or entities can give a user the ability to proportionally and accurately apply the 2D substrate or graphics on an object or entity, they are still limited to semi-regular objects and the graphical quality their own human artistic ability can create, design, and calibrate.
The following is an example of a specific aspect in the prior art that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. By way of educational background, another aspect of the prior art generally useful to be aware of is that three-dimensional i.e., 3D printing technology may be typically used for creating a 3D model of an object and printing a physical model of the 3D object. It is believed that designing and calibrating graphics onto a three-dimensional object using a two-dimensional substrate may still face certain challenges like crimping depending on the formability of a 2D substrate.
The following are examples of specific aspects in the prior art that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. By way of educational background, another aspect of the prior art generally useful to be aware of is that a solution has been to 3D scan an article like clothing before printing on it. This solution though commonly has limited applications to clothing and may usually not 3D scan to create an exact representation of an object. Furthermore, this solution may only have standard sizing for the clothing and not be useful for printing on non-clothing objects, creating custom clothing sewing patterns, or anywhere in general where a calibration may be needed on any complex object or entity. This may limit applications to printing on objects with a complex or irregular shape. Furthermore still, not having exact representations of objects being printed on may make it difficult to scale and convert to formats for various graphics programs to use so the result is as appears graphically before final application.
In view of the foregoing, it is clear that these traditional techniques are not perfect and leave room for more optimal approaches.
Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.